After 31 years, Director Roman Polanski is arrested (1 Viewer)

[whodatfever]

Movie-Maker Polanski Arrested in Switzerland
By Jason Rhodes
September 27, 2009
3 comments
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ZURICH (Reuters) - Film director Roman Polanski, whose turbulent life has come close to resembling the violent, perverse world of his movies, was arrested in Switzerland on a 1978 U.S. arrest warrant for unlawful sex with a 13-year-old.

Polanski, 76, had been due to receive a prize for his life's work at the Zurich Film Festival on Sunday evening, opening a retrospective of his film career but was arrested on arrival at Zurich airport on Saturday night.

Calling Polanski, who won Best Director Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2003, one of the greatest film directors of our time, the festival directors said they had "received this news with great consternation and shock."

Polanski's Los Angeles agent and the U.S. embassy in Zurich were not immediately available for comment.

Zurich Cantonal Police spokesman Stefan Oberlin said Polanski's arrest had been carried out on instructions from the Federal Justice Department in Berne.

Polanski was arrested in the United States in the late 1970s and charged with giving drugs and alcohol to a 13-year-old girl and having unlawful sex with her at a photographic shoot at Jack Nicholson's Hollywood home.


Maintaining the girl was sexually experienced and had consented, Polanski spent 42 days in prison undergoing psychiatric tests but fled the country before being sentenced.

Considered by U.S. authorities as a fugitive from justice, Polanski, whose films include "Rosemary's Baby" and "Chinatown," has lived in France avoiding countries that have extradition treaties with the United States.

TURBULENT LIFE

Few lives have turned into the macabre public spectacle that Polanski's has, first after the gruesome murder of his pregnant wife Sharon Tate in 1969 by the Charles Manson murder gang, and again eight years later when he was arrested for the statutory rape of the 13-year-old girl.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=8684404



Man, he's in his 70's. Not sure about this. I mean, I understand that the law is being upheld but still....

Where do you guys stand on this?

 

[cdogg]

I know he's in his 70's and a great film director, but we can't just set a precedent where if you are rich and skip to another country, that we just give up trying to arrest you for crimes you committed because you are talented.

 

[shaqtaw]

i think ole bubba should should him how jail works

 

[saintfan]

He was tried, convicted, and left the country to avoid punishment. He stayed away for 31 years to avoid serving his time. The game, then 13 (now 44 and married), has saidd that she no longer wants him punished.

IMO, he needs to serve some time, both for the ctime and flight to avoid punishment. I have no sympathy for me. But at least he didn't maim or kill someone.

The smoking gun has transcripts of what he did:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/polanskicover1.html

 

[KardiacKat]

Too bad for him. I'm sure the victim wants to put it completely behind her because she has a life and probably doesn't want the media attention. I understand that. But you don't just get a pass for something like this, no matter how much time as elapsed.

 

[44slayer]

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=8684404



Man, he's in his 70's. Not sure about this. I mean, I understand that the law is being upheld but still....

Where do you guys stand on this?

Are you saying that a guy who drugged and had sex with a 13 year old and skipped the country to avoid sentencing should be left alone because he is in his 70s or because he is a filmmaker? Honestly or is it a shock post? I guess if you are on Medicare you can do whatever the hell you want.

 

[bleedblk&gld]

what's funny is people remember this certain incident with Polanski the most.

I guess his wife being slaughtered with the words "Death to Pigs" written on the wall, with her blood probably, isn't something to remember someone by. but I feel for the guy. Not saying his attempt, or actions, towards that young female are acceptable. but i can only imagine what this man had to go through.

and for me, if you let your 13 year old daughter have a "private" photo shoot with a man 3x's her age, then you are an idiot. i don't trust anybody that much. not with my child.

 

[whodatfever]

Are you saying that a guy who drugged and had sex with a 13 year old and skipped the country to avoid sentencing should be left alone because he is in his 70s or because he is a filmmaker? Honestly or is it a shock post? I guess if you are on Medicare you can do whatever the hell you want.

Just wanted to see how the board reacted to it. I can't believe he managed to stay on the lam for 31 years. He's gonna die in prison.

 

[shaqtaw]

what's funny is people remember this certain incident with Polanski the most.

I guess his wife being slaughtered with the words "Death to Pigs" written on the wall, with her blood probably, isn't something to remember someone by. but I feel for the guy. Not saying his attempt, or actions, towards that young female are acceptable. but i can only imagine what this man had to go through.

and for me, if you let your 13 year old daughter have a "private" photo shoot with a man 3x's her age, then you are an idiot. i don't trust anybody that much. not with my child.

just because the parents were bad doesn't mean he gets a free pass to molest the girl

 

[N.O.Bronco]

Then he asks me to pose topless again and says he wants to take pictures in the Jacuzzi. I don't have my bathing suit so I get in in my underwear. He takes pictures, then he gets in naked and now I'm thinking, "Oh, this is not right." I'm scared and woozy, so I tell him I have asthma and to take me home. I get out, grab a towel, but he doesn't want to take me home yet. That's when he takes out the Quaaludes and asks me if I've ever had one. I lie and say yes. I take one-third. He takes what's left and tells me to lie down for a minute. I know he wants to have sex and he is not taking no for an answer. I'm intoxicated and afraid and don't know what to do, so I just let it happen.

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20124052,00.html


It was rape and this coming from someone who considers The Pianist to be a near masterpiece and Polanski to being a great filmmaker.

 

[44slayer]

just because the parents were bad doesn't mean he gets a free pass to molest the girl

+1.

Add murdered wife to Medicare as reasons you should be able to molest a child. This thread affirms that my daughters wont date until they are 25.

 

[saintsfanflorida]

This wouldn't even be discussed if he wasn't wealthy and talented. Time to go to jail pervert.

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

Did anyone else watch the HBO documentary about Polanski and the 1977 trial last year? It was an eye opener.

Except for Polanski and the judge, who's dead, Zenovich was able to interview all the key players, including the girl, Samantha Geimer, now a 44-year-old blond mother of three; the straight-arrow Mormon prosecutor Roger Gunson, and, speaking for the first time, Polanski's craggy and distinguished defense attorney, Douglas Dalton. Looking back, they all agree that the showboating judge and the media circus cost the defendant a fair day in court. "People have a right to their own opinion," says Dalton, explaining why he finally agreed to be interviewed. "People don't have a right to their own facts." Judge Rittenband, who'd presided over the Elvis and Priscilla divorce and a paternity suit against Cary Grant, badly wanted to try the case.

Polanski pleaded guilty to "unlawful sexual intercourse"; probation was the recommendation. But the judge began to maneuver behind the scenes: he wanted to look tough for the press, though not necessarily send Polanski to prison. He asked a reporter for advice on what sentence he should give; he gave regular interviews to a Hollywood gossip columnist. The day before the sentencing—despite an agreement with Dalton and Gunson—Ritterband was overheard bragging at his country club that he was going to lock up Polanski for the rest of his life. The next day Polanski was gone, his Mercedes abandoned at the Los Angeles airport. Even the prosecutor now says, "I'm not surprised he left under those circumstances."

http://www.newsweek.com/id/138382


Not saying he should get off scot free, but after listening to both the prosecutor and the victim, I had an entirely different perspective on the case (which I didnt know much about, other than he "drugged and had sex with a 13 year old," etc.)

 

[KardiacKat]

what's funny is people remember this certain incident with Polanski the most.

I guess his wife being slaughtered with the words "Death to Pigs" written on the wall, with her blood probably, isn't something to remember someone by. but I feel for the guy. Not saying his attempt, or actions, towards that young female are acceptable. but i can only imagine what this man had to go through.

and for me, if you let your 13 year old daughter have a "private" photo shoot with a man 3x's her age, then you are an idiot. i don't trust anybody that much. not with my child.

I'm sure he was mentally damaged by the murder of his wife. I feel for that. But our own tragedies don't excuse our behavior toward others. And yeah, the girl's parents should be beaten for allowing her to be there, but their error is no excuse either.

This wouldn't even be discussed if he wasn't wealthy and talented. Time to go to jail pervert.

This.^

 

[bleedblk&gld]

just because the parents were bad doesn't mean he gets a free pass to molest the girl

didn't say he should fly free. but if people(media) want to sit here and applaud him for his work. and then when he gets caught, say "YES! He can finally pay" is completely two faced. not saying anybody here said that. But the man has been forgiven.

In 2008, Geimer stated in an interview that she wishes Polanski would be forgiven, "I think he's sorry, I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society. I don't think he needs to be locked up forever and no one has ever come out ever - besides me - and accused him of anything. It was 30 years ago now. It's an unpleasant memory ... (but) I can live with it."

The woman wants this to be over. she's even filed for the case to be dismissed so she can move on. But i guess the mighty USA won't let some polish fella give them the bird and get away with it.

My opinion, yeah he deserves to be punished for molesting a 13 year old girl.

But this isn't about that. They want him to pay for the fact that he told them for 31 years <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2c4L4CPfQY8&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2c4L4CPfQY8&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

Polanski will serve the rest of his life in jail no matter what anybody says. case closed.